Hello Dolly

Bette Midler and Dolly Levi would seem to be as perfect a match as, oh, Glenn Close and Norma Desmond or Angela Lansbury and Mame. But, rather than giving us Dolly Levi, Bette has chosen to give us . . . Bette. Yes, she's funny and charming and lovely, but Dolly Levi is missing. Still, Bette does the star thing as no one else can, and the audience adores her. And she rocks the red "Hello, Dolly" dress and feathers. (Also, I saw a preview, and perhaps her performance will deepen.)

Bette Midler and Fabulous Dancers
Photo: Julieta Cervantes

I would have thought that not loving Midler would have meant not loving Hello Dolly, but I had a great time. Dolly is an old-time Broadway Musical, and this production beautifully captures its size, sweetness, and silliness. The book, by Michael Stewart, does what it needs to do, with some great silly jokes. The score by Jerry Herman is uneven, but the highlights are indeed highlights. It's also a pleasure to look at. The sets and backdrops are colorful, attractive, and full of detail. I could spend hours in Horace Vandergelder's and Irene Molloy's shops just enjoying the craft and artistry of the designs. The costumes are yummy eye candy, and there are a lot of them. Both the scenery and costumes are designed by the great Santo Loquasto, who has been delighting theatre and movie audiences for decades.

The cast is large, at least by today's standards--33 people versus Sunset Boulevard's 26. The 33 seem more like 40, mostly through the stamina and verve of the dancers (I wonder if they keep oxygen tanks backstage, just in case). 

In fact, the dancers are the heart and soul of this production. I may not have been moved by Midler's performance, but I did get tears in my eyes during a couple of the vibrant dance numbers. I've always been a sucker for a good production number, and Dolly is full of them. Kudos to Warren Carlyle who knows not to stray too far from Gower Champion's iconic work.

For me, the major flaw in any production of Hello Dolly is that there is no reason--zero, nada--for Dolly to be interested in marrying Horace Vandergelder. He's an obnoxious, stingy, humorless man. I was mildly optimistic that David Hyde Pierce would find a spark in the role, but he didn't. He works hard to bury his charm and attractiveness under a gruff Walter Matthau voice and glued-on facial hair, and he succeeds. So that flaw remains alive and well.

It's not that the rest of the plot makes perfect sense. It doesn't. But all the other illogical moments and inconsistencies are just silliness. The connection between Dolly and Horace is--or at least should be--the core of the show.

The rest of the cast is swell. It's always a treat to see Kate Baldwin (Irene Molloy), and Beanie Feldstein is a delight as Minnie Fay. (It's also quite nice to see a heavy girl treated as attractive--which she is!--and worthy of love.) Taylor Trensch is sweet as Barnaby Tucker, and Jennifer Simard gets her laughs, and then some, as Earnestina Money.

I was disappointed to learn that Gavin Creel (Cornelius Hackl) was out, but his understudy was fabulous. His name is Christian Dante White, and he's engaging and graceful and eminently likable, and his voice is gorgeous. (I also enjoyed that he's African-American; there's no reason to limit casting racially in the highly imaginary world of Dolly.) Midler gave him a solo bow, and he got huge cheers.

I'm a Sondheim-ian, through and through. I love musicals full of angst and suffering. But there still is--and I hope there will always be--a place on Broadway for big! bright! silly! and fun!

(Because everyone in the cast contributes mightily to the show, here are the performers not already mentioned:  Will Burton, Melanie Moore, Kevin Ligon, Cameron Adams, Phillip Attmore, Giuseppe Bausilio, Justin Bowen, Taeler Cyrus, Leslie Donna Flesner, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Stephen Hanna, Michael Hartung, Robert Hartwell, Aaron Kaburick, Amanda LaMotte, Analisa Leaming, Jess LeProtto, Nathan Madden, Michael McCormick, Linda Mugleston, Hayley Podschun, Jessica Sheridan, Branch Woodman, Ryan Worsing, Richard Riaz Yoder.)

Wendy Caster
(Paid just over half price to someone who couldn't use them and couldn't sell them for full price. Thanks again to that person--otherwise I would never have gotten to see this show! Fifth row mezz, on the side.)

Writing this, I became curious about Hello Dolly cast sizes past and present. This table shows definite shrinkage. The original cast had 45 performers! (Info from ibdb.com. I have no idea how this will look on your browser or smartphone....)

Original Jan 16, 1964 - Dec 27, 1970 (45 people)	Nov 6, 1975 - Dec 28, 1975 (36 people)	Mar 5, 1978 - Jul 9, 1978 (38 people)	Oct 19, 1995 - Jan 28, 1996 (36 people)	Current Production (33 people)
Carol Channing	Pearl Bailey	Carol Channing	Carol Channing	Bette Midler
Eileen Brennan	Billy Daniels	Eddie Bracken	Michael DeVries	David Hyde Pierce
David Burns	Guy Allen	Diane Abrams	Jay Garner	Gavin Creel
Jerry Dodge	Sally Benoit	Richard Ammon	Florence Lacey	Kate Baldwin
Alice Playten	Lisa Brown	John Anania	John Bantay	Taylor Trensch
Charles Nelson Reilly	Don Coleman	Carole Banninger	Desta Barbieri	Beanie Feldstein
Ken Ayers	Ron Crofoot	Bill Bateman	Bill Bateman	Will Burton
Nicole Barth	Richard Dodd	K. T. Baumann	Kimberly Bellmann	Melanie Moore
Alvin Beam	Terrence Emanuel	Michael C. Booker	Bruce Blanchard	Jennifer Simard
Carvel Carter	Chip Fields	Kyle Cittadin	Stephen Bourneuf	Kevin Ligon
Monica Carter	Grenoldo Frazier	Ron Crofoot	Julian Brightman	Cameron Adams
Mary Jo Catlett	Terry Gene	Don Edward Detrick	Holly Cruikshank	Phillip Attmore
Gordon Connell	Pat Gideon	Richard Dodd	James Darrah	Giuseppe Bausilio
Joel Craig	Ray Gilbert	Rob Draper	Christine DeVito	Justin Bowen
Dick Crowley	Ann Givin	David Evans	Cory English	Taeler Cyrus
Igors Gavon	Charles Goeddertz	JoEla Flood	Simone Gee	Leslie Donna Flesner
Gene GeBauer	Ted Goodridge	Tom Garrett	Jason Gillman	Jessica Lee Goldyn
Amelia Haas	Birdie M. Hale	Charlie Goeddertz	Milica Govich	Stephen Hanna
David Hartman	Karen Hubbard	Coby Grossbart	Elizabeth Green	Michael Hartung
Joe Helms	Gwen Humble	James Homan	Donald Ives	Robert Hartwell
Richard Hermany	Clark James	Marilyn Hudgins	Dan LoBuono	Aaron Kaburick
Neil Jones	Eulaulá Jennings	Alexandra Korey	Jim Madden	Amanda LaMotte
Charles Karel	Kathy Jennings	Florence Lacey	Lori Ann Mahl	Analisa Leaming
Paul Kastl	James Kennon-Wilson	Robert Lydiard	Halden Michaels	Jess LeProtto
Jan LaPrade	Mary Louise	Alex MacKay	Sharon Moore	Nathan Madden
Sondra Lee	Richard Maxon	Richard Maxon	Steve Pudenz	Michael McCormick
Joan Buttons Leonard	Francie Mendenhall	Deborah Moldow	Michael Quinn	Linda Mugleston
Jim Maher	Charles Neal	Randy Morgan	Robert Randle	Hayley Podschun
Marilyne Mason	Howard Porter	P. J. Nelson	Mitch Rosengarten	Jessica Sheridan
Bonnie Mathis	Jimmy Rivers	Janyce Nyman	Mary Setrakian	Christian Dante White
Joe McWherter	Ken Rogers	Jacqueline Payne	Clarence M. Sheridan	Branch Woodman
John Mineo	Bessye Ruth Scott	Debra Pigliavento	Randy Slovacek	Ryan Worsing
Else Olufsen	Sachi Shimizu	Theresa Rakov	Roger Preston Smith	Richard Riaz Yoder
Randy Phillips	David Staller	Bubba Rambo	Ashley Stover
Yolanda Poropat	Teddy Williams	Lee Roy Reams	Michele Tibbitts
Lowell Purvis	Jonathan Wynne	Randolph Riscol	Monica M. Wemitt
Michael Quinn		Barbara Ann Thompson
Will Roy		Mark Waldrop
Bonnie Schon
Barbara Sharma
Mary Ann Snow
Paul Solen
Jamie Thomas
Pat Trott
Ronnie Young